Let's play a game of hypotheticals. Kylian Mbappe, depending on who you believe, and how much you subscribe to the reliability of the Spanish press, will likely be a Real Madrid player next year. Him moving to Santiago Bernabeu will end over three years of torment and speculation, with one of the world's best finally getting his dream move.
It will perhaps suit all parties, too. Paris Saint-Germain won't exactly be elated to lose perhaps their greatest-ever playe, but the French champions are building a new team with a focus on long-term success — a squad that looks increasingly like an outfit assembled to thrive in a post-Mbappe world.
Madrid, meanwhile, get their white whale. Mbappe, it has been known for some time, is a boyhood Madridista who idolised Cristiano Ronaldo, and has done little to hide his desire for a future move to the Spanish capital.
But at some point, the fantasy ends and the reality begins. The truth is, Madrid are already loaded when it comes to their forward line, and finding the best role for Mbappe within the current ecosystem is a problem Carlo Ancelotti will have to solve.
Having Mbappe is never a bad thing, but fitting it all together while ensuring current Ballon d'Or favourite Jude Bellingham isn't negatively impacted won't be easy.
